1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a print system for forming images based on image data to provide a plurality of document sets, each printed out by a different printing process based on a different macro. The present invention also relates to an image forming device including the print system and a method of operating the print system.
2. Description of Related Art
Japanese Patent-Application Publication (Kokai) No. HEI-8-292684 discloses a printer for printing an image on a recording medium to produce a document. The printer executes printing operations in accordance with a mode set by a user. For example, depending on the mode, the printer forms an image enlarged or reduced in size or an image with a certain toner density, or discharges the document onto a designated one of several discharge trays.
The printer can also be set to a mode for printing out more than one document set at a time. For example, the user can control the printer to printout identical copies of a single document. Identical copies of a single document will be referred to as document copies hereinafter. In this case, the user can designate the same mode for all document sets, whereupon the printer will print a designated number of document copies. Alternatively, the user can control the printer to print out modifications of a document by designating a certain macro. An example of a macro for producing a document modification is a macro for forming an overlay image xe2x80x9cConfidentialxe2x80x9d diagonally across the document. Still further, the user can designate some document sets to be document copies and others to be macro induced document modifications. That is, selected document sets are printed out in accordance with the selected mode to provide document modifications, and other will be printed out normally to provide document copies.
In other words, when a plurality of document sets are printed out, some of the document sets are printed out using normal printing processes, and the rest of the documents sets are printed out in accordance with the selected mode. For example, a first document set may be printed out using normal printing processes, and the others may be printed out in enlargement printing processes or reduced printing processes. Also, a first document set may be formed with an image in a normal toner density, and the others may be formed with an image in a greater toner density. Further, a first document set may be discharged onto one discharge tray, and others may be discharged onto a different discharge tray.
However, the above-described printer cannot be set to a different mode for each one of a plurality of document sets. Also, operations for forming an overlay image over an original image are time consuming and complicated. For example, if a user wishes to obtain a document in the style shown in FIG. 2(b), wherein an overlay image xe2x80x9cConfidentialxe2x80x9d is formed over an original image, first, the printer receives original print data from an external device, such as a computer, and forms the original image based on the original print data. Next, the printer receives form-overlay data from the computer, and then forms the overlay image xe2x80x9cConfidentialxe2x80x9d based on the form-overlay data over the original image. In this way, the printer needs to repeat printing operations twice.
It is an objective of the present invention to provide a print system in which a user can set different printing processes for each one of a plurality of document sets in a simple manner.
It is an another objective of the present invention to provide an image forming device and a method for operating the print system.
In order to achieve the above and other objectives, there is provided a print system including a data processing unit that generates print data, setting means for individually setting printing processes on a document set basis, and an image forming unit that executes printing operations based on the print data. The image forming unit executes the printing operations to produce a plurality of document sets based on identical print data generated by the data processing unit and based further on the printing processes individually set to each of the plurality of document sets by the setting means.
There is also provided a print system including a data processing unit that generates print data, a memory that stores a plurality of macros, macro designating means for selectively designating one or ones of the macros on a document set basis, and an image forming unit that executes printing operations based on the print data. The image forming unit executes the printing operations to produce a plurality of print sets based on identical print data generated by the data processing unit and based further on the one or ones of macros selectively designated to each of the plurality of document sets by the macro designating means.
Also, there is provided a print system including a first print data generating unit that generates original print data, a macro generating unit that generates a macro, a memory that stores a plurality of macros each generated by the macro generating unit, macro designating means for selectively designating one or ones of the macros on a document set basis, a second print data generating unit that generates print data based on the original print data and based further on the one or ones of the macros selectively designated by the macro designating means, and an image forming unit that executes printing operations based on the print data generated by the second print data generating unit to produce a plurality of document sets.
Further, there is provided a print system including a computer and an image forming unit that is communicable with the computer. The computer includes a macro generating unit that generates at least one macro, a first print data generating unit that generates original print data, macro designating means for selectively designating the at least one macro on a document set basis, and a communication unit that transmits the at least one macro and the original print data. The image forming device includes a first memory that stores the at least one macro, a second memory that stores the original print data, and an image forming unit that executes printing operations based on the original print data. The image forming unit executes the printing operations to produce a plurality of document sets based on identical original print data generated by the first print data generating unit and based further on the at least one macro selectively designated to each of the plurality of document sets by the macro designating means.
Still further, there is provided an image forming device including print process setting means for selectively setting printing processes on a document set basis and an image forming unit that executes printing operations to produce a plurality of document sets based on the print processes selectively set by the print process setting means to each of the plurality of document sets.
There is also provided an image forming device communicable with an external device. The image forming device includes macro generating means for generating a macro, a memory that stores at least one macro generated by the macro generating means, macro designating means for selectively designating the at least one macro on a document set basis, and an image forming unit that executes printing operations based on print data received from an external device. The image forming unit executes the printing operations to produce a plurality of document sets based on identical print data received from the external device and based further on the at least one macro selectively designated by the macro designating means to each of the plurality of document sets.
Further, there is provided a method of forming an image on a recording medium based on print data to produce a plurality of document sets. The method includes the steps of a) generating print process data as a macro, b) transmitting the macro from a computer to an image forming device, c) storing the macro transmitted from the computer into a memory, d) generating print data, e) selectively designating one macro or a plurality of macros on a document set basis, and f) executing printing operations to produce a plurality of document sets based on identical print data generated in the step e) and based further on the macro or the plurality of macros selectively designated for each of the plurality of document sets.